The Professional Comfort System

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The Professional Comfort System

• The Duty Belt for Todays
• Law Enforcement Officers

Presented by Mike Lowe, President Tactical Design
Labs, Inc.
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A Brief History, Sam Browne

• The Sam Browne Belt
• Invented by the one-armed British Army General
  Sam Browne in the 1850s, it originally
  incorporated a single diagonal strap that
  extended across
• the chest to support the weight of
• the sword.
• Tradition has maintained this as a
• part of the formal-dress
• uniform for a few departments
• still today.

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The Sam Browne Today

• Known accounts of strap catching on vehicles and
  being grabbed by assailants have all but
  eliminated this from most police uniforms.

The New Jersey State Police
The Rhode Island State Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
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The Police Duty Belt

• The Police Duty Belt
• Typically a 2 1/4 inch belt made of synthetic or
  leather utilizing various belt buckles, with the
  traditional Sam Browne strap and buckle being
  phased out.
• This traditional platform was
• never intended to bear the weight
• of modern gear and weaponry.
• (15-20 lbs.)
• Its only been Law Enforcements
• tenacity and toughness that has kept
• us from actually resolving these health
• related issues associated with the duty belt.

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Duty Belts Issues

• In earlier years, duty belts were actually worn
  around the hips for comfort.
• Uniformity and security issues have caused the
  duty belt to be worn around the waist as opposed
  to the hips. (Keepers)
• Carpenter tool belts use a similar system for
  comfort and weight displacement.
• The Backpacking Industry understands the
  importance of a platform to distribute weight to
  the hips.

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Health Related Issues

• Health issues have been well documented over the
  years with injuries and discomfort relating to
  the current platform.
• In 1997, the Dept. of CHP conducted a study with
  UC Berkeley on duty belt discomfort and
  determined the problems to include the weight and
  rigidity of the gear, as well as gear location.
• A 2004 study conducted by the Police Association
  of New South Wales owed their pain to a limited
  adjustment capacity, where the belt was worn
  either too tightly, or too loosely. They, too,
  noted gear weight as a key proponent in duty belt
  pain.
• Other research and common
• knowledge relates pain and
• discomfort to the weight of the belt.

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Health Cont.
Health Related Issues

• Not to be confused with fitness issues or duty
  related injuries.
• Too much weight being worn around the waist on a
  non-weight-bearing platform.
• Issues caused by lower edge of belt pressing into
  body bones and nerves.
• Compression of the lateral femoral nerves causes
  leg numbness and pain, potentially creating
  permanent damage. (Meralgia Paresthetica)
• Hours of sitting on accessories.

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Who Will Accept Responsibility for this Obvious
Problem?
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No Real Solution

• Suspenders
• Only transfer weight and problem to shoulders and
  neck, Narrow straps not designed for weight
  bearing capabilities.
• Timely to put on.
• Difficult to Adjust Too Tight or
• Falling Off.
• Safety concerns at being dragged
• or grabbed.
• Take away from appearance or
• perceived as too militaristic.
• Gear bounces when running.

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The Solution

• The Professional Comfort System
• Designed to support, displace, and dispense
  weight.
• Alleviate and mitigate compression of lateral
  femoral nerves.
• Provides a padded, protective barrier between
  accessories and body from sitting or falling.
• Holds accessories in place for
• common and consistent indexing.
• (Officer Molly Bowden)
• Provides additional lumbar support.

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Other Features

• Cop-Lock Belt Buckle Heavy-weight, three way
  release belt buckle (now the industry standard).
• One-time assembly, gear will remain unwaveringly
  in place, utilizing at least two keepers.
• All components sold separately or as a system.
• Standard width belt to accommodate all of your
  current gear as well as TDL Holsters.

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Departments Using the PCS

• The Professional Comfort System is currently
  being used in hundreds of departments nationwide,
  including the following

• Clark County Sheriffs Office
• Vancouver, Washington
• Polk County Sheriffs Office
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Ada County Sheriffs Office
• Boise, Idaho
• Fort Collins Police Department
• Fort Collins, Colorado

• Pennsylvania Constables Office
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Del Ray Beach Police Dept.
• DelRay Beach, Florida
• Gulfport Police Department
• Gulfport, Mississippi
• Benton County Sheriffs Office
• Kennewick, Washington

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Testimonials

• Once I found the Professional Comfort System, I
  was immediately amazed. Upon putting it on, it
  felt like I was wearing a pillow around my waist.
  ALL of the gear weight was evenly distributed
  around the belt and because of the lower back
  support, I noticed none of the gear was
  "pinching" my sides. I will never go back to any
  other belt system. Thanks a million!

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Testimonials

• My chiropractor LOVED the belt and will be
  thankful for the information on the belts as he
  wants to pass the idea to his other law
  enforcement clients. Im passing it on to my
  lawyer as well, since he works for most every cop
  in the country who gets hurt. I believe it could
  help a lot of them get back to work.

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Testimonials

• The biggest surprise for me was what happens
  when you try to run, which in my case isn't very
  fast, but I try. In the suspenders your equipment
  gets to bouncing and gets out of rhythm with the
  rest of you and slows you down even more. The
  belt stays in place and makes it much easier. I
  can't say enough good things about this belt. I
  sure don't want to give it back.

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For More Information
Contact Our Friendly Sales Staff Call
877-783-5227 Click tdlabs.com Email
info_at_tdlabs.com